203 episodes
Freewheelin' - Out of Town Guides, Wet Flies, Stocking Over Wilds . . . and More
2026/06/28 | 1h 14 mins.In this Season 19 finale of the Troutbitten Podcast, we tackle a grab bag of topics. We call these episodes the Freewheelin' Troutbitten. This one was unintentional. We had plans to cover a topic of fishing with friends vs fishing solo, but once we opened up some of the leftover topics surrounding the Grievances episode from last week, we just kinda got things rolling and let it go.
The last half hour is dedicated to our most important conservation message -- stop stocking over wild trout.
My friends Bill Dell, Dr. Trevor Smith, Matt Grobe and Austin Dando join me for a fun conversation.
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Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
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Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/
Thanks to TroutRoutes:
Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com
Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/- We’re here for our fifth annual Airing of Grievances episode. We do this every June, at the end of the spring seasons of the podcast. We do it to have some fun, and we do it because it’s helpful to call out the bad things and try to make them better.
We also do this because Frank Costanza from Seinfeld once said . . . “I gotta lotta problems with you people, and now . . . you’re gonna here about it.”
So we’re here to complain about things, to clear the air and to get things off our chests about the fly fishing industry. And that means just about everyone involved, from the big fly fishing companies and brands, to the start ups. From the fly shops to the guides that work for them. From the independent, part-time guide, to the die-hard angler, to the weekend warrior and to the fisherman who has become fly-fishing-curious in the last few months. Everyone. No exceptions. And that starts with our own self-grievances.
After a few years of doing this and getting so many replies from other anglers with their own gripes, we decided to open up the grievances episode to YOU, the listeners. We did that for the first time last year, and this year we have more submissions than ever. So we’ve compiled a list of the most common grievances with the fly fishing industry. And no one is safe.
Joining me are Austin Dando, Bill Dell, Trevor Smith and Matt Grobe.
Resources
PODCAST: Troutbitten | The Airing of Grievances -- One
PODCAST: Troutbitten | The Airing of Grievances -- Two
PODCAST: Troutbitten | The Airing of Grievances -- Three
PODCAST: Troutbitten | The Airing of Grievances -- Four
Visit
Troutbitten Website
Troutbitten Instagram
Troutbitten YouTube
Troutbitten Facebook
Thanks to TroutRoutes:
Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com
Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/
Thanks to TroutRoutes:
Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com
Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/ - Here's a good talk about other styles and other species, and how using a spinning rod or baitcaster can open up your fishing world to a more complete set of skills and a better understanding of . . . fishing.
Most fly anglers can pick up and cast a spinning rod or baitcaster, but if you spend some real time to develop an intimate understanding of the strengths and the possibilities, you gain another base of knowledge.
The same can be said for chasing other species: bass, carp, musky, redfish, permit, snook, striper. They’re all different, all with unique challenges and solutions that transfer over to the trout world, given the right circumstance.
The question is, can you learn everything -- that same, full skillset of presentations, of reading a river and more, by only fishing a fly rod? That’s part of what we talk about in this podcast.
My good friends Austin Dando and Bill Dell join me for this one.
Resources
PODCAST: Troutbitten | The Versatile Angler - S3, Ep15
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Fish and Film - One Morning for Versatility
Visit
Troutbitten Website
Troutbitten Instagram
Troutbitten YouTube
Troutbitten Facebook
Thanks to TroutRoutes:
Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com
Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/ - Over the last few decades, fishing apparel has undergone a dramatic evolution. Today, we expect more than ever from our boots, waders, jackets, and shirts because we've grown accustomed to the advantages of purpose-built gear that's ready to deliver.
Comfort, support and durability are the hallmarks of great fishing gear. So I sat down with Kevin Sloan, the founder of Skwala fishing, for a look at where the industry stands now, a look back at where we were and a forward look at where we're going.
It was a fun conversation full of in-depth technical specifics on why and how good designs last. Kevin also has a lifetime of fishing stories to share.
Resources
READ: Troutbitten | All the Things
READ: Troutbitten | 100 Day Gear Review - Skwala RS Wading Boots
READ: Troutbitten | Critical Wader Care - Advice from the Companies Themselves - How to Wash and Dry Your Waders
Visit
Troutbitten Website
Troutbitten Instagram
Troutbitten YouTube
Troutbitten Facebook
Thanks to TroutRoutes:
Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com
Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/ - We’re here to talk about fishing angles. Are you wading upstream or down? And are you casting upstream or down? What’s your preference? Why do you make that decision? When, if ever does it change? And does your casting direction always follow your wading direction?
Sometimes, these preferences seem regional, while other times it’s specifically about the tactic -- meaning that swinging wet flies, for example, suits a downstream approach best. But sometimes, angle choice seems more like tradition, and many anglers simply fish a certain way because their Dad did.
Most of us at Troutbitten look at things objectively. We all went through a period of time where we tore everything down that we thought we knew and rebuilt the database from the ground up. We want to know what really works best.
My good friends Matt Grobe and Bill Dell join me to answer these questions.
Resources
READ: Troutbitten | The Downstream Fisher Yields to the Upstream Fisher
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Riverside: Fishing Direction - Should You Work Upstream or Downstream?
READ: Troutbitten | Face Upstream, Fish Upstream
READ: Troutbitten | The Advantages of Working Upstream
Visit
Troutbitten Website
Troutbitten Instagram
Troutbitten YouTube
Troutbitten Facebook
Thanks to TroutRoutes:
Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership at
https://maps.troutroutes.com
Thanks to Skwala
Use the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order at
https://skwalafishing.com/
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About Troutbitten
Life on the water. Troutbitten is a deep dive into fly fishing for wild trout in wild places. Author and guide, Domenick Swentosky, shares stories, tips, tactics and conversations with friends about fly fishing through the woods and water. Explore more. Fish hard. And discover fly fishing at Troutbitten.com — an extensive resource with 1500+ articles about trout, friends, family and the river.
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